The Will and Heart of the Red Dragon
by Kaltes
Summary: Beginning after MOMO's disappearance from the Kukai Foundation, written form of the events that follow. Jr struggles to stay true to himself, keep his promise and not give in to the dark energy inside. JrXShion
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own anything from Xenosaga.

Summary: Written form of the events occurring after MOMO's disappearance from the Kukai Foundation. It will contain scenes both from the game, as well as additional ones to further develop the characters and story line. The 'main character' for this is mostly Jr, and will be written in 3rd person focusing on him. Will be have some mild JrXMOMO, but will be focusing on development towards JrXShion.

A/N: Please give me feedback! :) I'm working on fixing my issues with tense and passive sentences though I'm not sure how much it is working! Also please let me know if you think that I'm writing any of the characters in a way that doesn't fit their personalities; I'm of course especially worried about making Jr too OOC. I would love to hear back what anyone thinks, so please review!

**Chapter One: Discovering the Root**

When Shion mentioned the song as that very thought passed between Gaignun and Jr's minds, the red head finally believed what his black haired companion had said about her after their first encounter. Jr finds himself frowning as he realizes that his younger brother was right once again, Shion Uzuki was not an ordinary human after all. As his eyes stray to her he realizes that he shouldn't be so surprised, she was young, barely over twenty years old, and was the one in charge of one of Vector First R and D Division's most classified projects; KOS-MOS. Yet her subordinate, Allen, seems not to hear a shred of the song, meaning her abnormality has to be of a source separate from her exposure to the KOS-MOS project. Gaignun summons Jr's attention with his thoughts; _Why am I feeling so unsettled? This image...just won't leave my mind..._

The words from his brother's mind force him to confront the darkness floating in his own heart as the eerie song drifted throughout space. Jr knows that this is the same song from that day, the one where he'd cast his brothers into madness and death, The Song of Nephilim did naught but drag him through his dark memories. Yet now...there is something deeper to the darkness, something more to the song this time around, and he feels that unless he stops it soon he will be pulled under the surface, into the dark abyss.

Reality suddenly yanks him from his reverie as he and his brother are forced to confront it, the federation fleet's weapons are bearing down on the Foundation and unless they do something, everyone was done for. As his eyes clear he focuses on the screen, seeing that they might already be too late, as the Federation ships had their weapons powered and ready to fire. _Is this going to be it?_ He hates to think such a thing but he can't help it. _Better this than the succumbing to the Song_, he thinks darkly to himself. Then he finds himself again; he wasn't ready to die or let everyone he cares about be murdered by the suspicion of the Federation. He takes a step forward, ready to address the fleet, to talk their way out of this, to assume command as he was created to do; then a blinding light above them.

"What was that!" he demands but received no reply, as everyone's eyes are trained on the machines that are gating in. Jr watches in awe as the Gnosis around the Foundation are vaporized by what appears to be rings of pulsing light, he can't help but think to himself that he needs to get his hands on _that_ kind of technology. The large ship that had gated in appears to be the main weapon that produced the waves, but it is also flanked by three smaller blue ships, which he can just see have a Vector logo on them. Instinctively his eyes travel to Shion, who had moved to the front of the bridge to watch the light show, he barely hears her surprised voice; "The Dämmerung...?" the name is unfamiliar to him, but before he can ponder further his eyes are drawn back to the four new ships, as they move into a triangular formation. Jr watches in admiration as the large ship shifts and an enormous shockwave blasts out from the four of them, eradicating the entirety of the gnosis assault.

"The Rhine Maiden...so she's operational now..." it was Shion's voice that sounds when the attack was finished; everyone else remaining in stunned silence. Jr can't help but suddenly feel embarrassed, between KOS-MOS and this new weapon, Rhine Maiden, even the Durandal was being put to shame by Vector Industries.

"Chief!" a high pitched voice floats through the connection, and a girl in a red vector uniform materializes on screen. Jr feels the desire to take charge and scrape together control of the situation, but within moments Shion is in the forefront, obviously more familiar than he with whatever the hell is going on. He continues to be surprised by the brunette, and the more he is around her the more he realizes how much they seem to be alike.

"Miyuki? Where are you calling from?" Jr lets the idle chatter slide from his perception as his mind wanders, he lets his sapphire eyes slip shut. The image of darkness in his heart meets him immediately, he lets it engulf him, pushing the fear he feels away, washing himself in the abyss with which he is faced. Guilt consumes his emotions and at once he recognizes the feeling from an event, much more near in his memory than the Miltian Conflict. The Encephelon.

It is the same dark pull that he had faced in _that_ room, it is the past that he had been forced to confront in Febronia's church. Albedo, the brother he had abandoned to madness, _he_ is the creator of this void in Jr's chest, the Song is merely _his_ tool. Opening his eyes again, reality greets him, "some type of force field concentrated near here. There's a very high probability that it's what's attracting the Gnosis." It is the voice of that Vector employee, Miyuki.

Shion is kneeling on the ground not far from him, inspecting a small Vector case with a red weapon cartridge inside, "A force field?" she questions, lifting her head from the content of the case and brushing her hair from her cheek.

"Right. The observational guys said that whatever it is, it's definitely something man-made. Anyway, we can find the..." the girl's reply fades away. Jr already knows what has been causing these phenomena. It is the Song that he's been hearing for hours, summoning the Gnosis and causing the darkness to well up within him, and he now has a good idea of exactly who is responsible for it.

"Do you have any idea what this thing is?" Shion's ignited temper yanks him back to the present once more, and he can't help but smile at the hot-headedness they have in common.

"Of course!" is the other girl's upbeat reply, which is followed up quickly by a not so confident, "...Or so I'd like to claim, but I actually just transferred in, so I'm not really sure."

The carefree, oblivious attitude of Miyuki seems to try Shion's patience as much as Jr's own, "Look, Miyuki...this cartridge is a weapon! It sets off a phase transfer that destroys everything in the area. It may be localized, but you could vaporize an entire star with this thing if you wanted to. You'd have to be insane to try using this in a populated area."

"Shion..." suddenly everyone's attention is drawn by the stoic, often silent blue haired android. Jr feels awe wash over him whenever he looks at KOS-MOS, the first time he'd seen Vector's creation in battle he'd been completely shocked. Such ferocity and raw power had been packed into such a beautiful, fragile exterior; the irony of man's creations continue to impress him.

"What is it, KOS-MOS?" Shion faces the android with a serious expression.

"By limiting the phase transfer mass, I can activate the device without impacting either the federation fleet or the Kukai Foundation." Jr is surprised at how much it bothers him that such a robotic voice emanates from something that appears so much like a normal, human woman.

"You can do that?" the fact that KOS-MOS's main engineer doesn't know the full extent and parameter's of the androids abilities would have been strange in other circumstances. However Jr has seen KOS-MOS undertake the impossible in more than one situation, causing him to believe that there is just something more to her than simply being Vector designed machine; perhaps that thought is just his optimism getting the better of him.

"Affirmative. This is one of my many functions." The almost humorous tone in her voice seems to almost reaffirm his sentiments, but he figures he is merely projecting what he wants believe on to reality.

As if in anticipation of Shion's hesitance, Miyuki speaks up in support; "Even the Rhine Maiden's got a limit to how much she can fire. Let's take out the source before the Gnosis overwhelm us." After witnessing the power of that weapon, Jr finds it hard to imagine anything ever getting past it.

"But..."

The brash nature within him rears its head at the Shion's reluctance, Jr realizes that she needed to be made aware of just how dire their situation is. Just what kind of risks they are taking the longer that they wait. "Shion...This is the Song of Nephilim." He chimes in, curious to see any recognition in her features, "There's no question about it."

There was none, "The Song of Nephilim?" she asks softly, recognizing the hint of fear in his tone, "What is it?"

"The single worst creation that ever resulted from Joachim Mizrahi's research. It was the Song that destroyed Miltia and summoned the Gnosis. We've got to stop it before everything goes out of control." At the mention of Mizrahi, Jr instinctually peers around the room in search of the girl who calls the man Daddy. She is still missing, causing his stomach to drop as another worry is piled on to his shoulders.

"Out of control?" the words are more to herself than anyone else, and Jr is reminded that she, too, had lived through the Miltian Conflict. The delve into KOS-MOS subconscious had reflected her memories as well as his own, making him suddenly curious about her past.

Jr shakes his head, reminding himself of the problems at hand, "And we still haven't found MOMO yet. We've got to move."

"I know but..." at her words he is surprised that his temper and impatience don't take hold, but as he looks into her conflicted eyes he feels nothing but sympathy; so much weight is being placed upon her shoulders, and the root of her hesitancy is in her fear for the risk to innocent lives.

Ziggy seems to have latch on to the question of MOMO's whereabouts, he addresses one of the Durandal's 100 Series Observational Realians assigned with finding the girl, "Any sign of MOMO yet?"

The blue haired, child like Realian replies negatively, "We're still scanning, but we haven't located her yet." Jr couldn't help but feel distraught, he had a promise to keep.

"I see..." behind the cyborg's cold tone, Jr can sense his concern, MOMO had a way of making you care about her no matter who you are, "We've got to make a decision Shion. We can't hold out against another Gnosis attack." Ziggy's continuing the efforts to imbue Shion with new resolve.

Finally she succumbs, sighing in distress, "All right...let's see what we can do."

A/N: First Chapter! I have more written up and it's just a matter of editing and tweaking...and of course encouragement from any readers. ^^


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own anything from Xenosaga.

A/N: Well here is Chapter 2. If you read this I'd love some feedback about any issues with tense, OOCness, or other problems. Or just to know if you guys enjoyed it at all.

**Chapter Two: Unwelcome Return**

Shion, Allen, and Ziggy had left the bridge in order to prepare, with KOS-MOS, for the upcoming task of identifying the source of the Song and reversing its cloaking device with the use of the phase transfer canon. Jr had elected to stay behind on the bridge mostly out of the desire to speak with Gaignun about what was going on.

_So I guess that you were right after all._

_If you took the chance to perceive what's around you instead rashly sprinting through life you wouldn't have to deal with this kind of disappointment you know. _Speaking with Gaignun through telepathy had become a second nature in the past fourteen years. But it seems strange now, that while Jr's inner voice had remained the same, his brother's had grown deeper and more mature.

_You know I have my reasons for the way that I am... plus that's what I have you for little brother and I know you get some sadistic satisfaction out of being right all the time._

There was a moment of silence, _Are you worried for the girl?_

The question takes Jr off guard, much like the black haired man's comment about taking MOMO to the beach. _Of course I'm worried, you know that. We are all worried, she's a sweet girl, even the emotionless cyborg cares for her. Not to mention..._

_What she has within her. _Jr nods in response, _The Y Data, no one knows what is held within the legacy Mizrahi left behind, but whatever it is cannot be allowed to fall into the wrong hands. But I sense that isn't the main reason for your concern._ The red haired man shoots a glare at the other man._ She does look astoundingly like—_

"Stop!" the order is out loud, and all the realians cast worried glances towards him; all he can do is shrug it off uncomfortably. _It isn't what you think Gaignun, the resemblance just makes it... strange. MOMO is her own person not a ghost from my past, something I can't allow myself to forget._

_Wise words from one so young_. Chuckling Gaignun places a hand on the red head's back, _I will do what I can to help you keep your promise._

_I only hope that I can...I think I know who's controlling the song, what the dark image is Gaignun._ Jr looks up at the other man through worry clouded eyes.

"We're all ready to go." The voice is Shion's, full of a confidence that suits her well.

_I'll tell you soon Gaignun, if this works I'll know for sure_ _if I'm right._ The black haired man nods, and Jr turns to those that have rejoined them, "Well let's get it done!" calls Jr, walking back towards the elevator and placing a reassuring hand on Shion's arm. The tiny warm smile she gives him in return stirs warmth within him, and he can't help but smile back, despite everything.

As Jr turns to the front of the Durandal a screen appears next to Miyuki's; KOS-MOS drifting against a star coated curtain. He smiles; space always looks that way to him, fake. Better than dealing with the feeling of utter insignificance that overtakes him every time he thinks of what it is really like.

"Listen to me, KOS-MOS. Try to keep the phase transfer mass as low as possible." Again Jr's glance falls on the brunette, she is so genuinely concerned even though KOS-MOS would naturally do anything in her power to keep at least Vector personnel from being harmed, "All we need is the locus of that force field." _Then will have to infiltrate the cause of the Song_, the red head muses darkly.

"Affirmative. Setting transfer mass to 0.11 MPT. Transfer time set to 4.8 times ten to the negative thirty-eighth." The android slipps the red cartridge into the small grey gun, "Loading cartridge." Then the pistol sized gun transforms into one of the biggest gun's he'd ever seen, _Vector sure is something, I need to get my hands on one of those..._

"Bypass between D.S.S.S. and mainframe secured. Opening multidirectional scan." Confirms Miyuki, giving KOS-MOS the go ahead.

The tension rises in the silence as everyone in the room watches KOS-MOS silently survey the area. "Distortion detected a direction 8-0-1-8, near the U.M.N. structure. It is currently emitting a weak column pulse."

"That's it!" Shion affirms, always thorough she asks, "And your line of fire?"

"Line of fire, clear. Awaiting orders." _Better make sure the Foundation's shields are up just in case anything goes askew with an aftershock or electro pulse._

As Jr turns to Shelley, someone beats him to the punch, "Shelley, are the anti-electromagnetic shields ready?" to Jr, authority looks good on Shion.

"Preparations are complete. You may fire at will." States the purple haired beauty.

"Roger." Nods Shion, "KOS-MOS, fire the phase transfer canon." Jr can feel goose bumps rise on his neck in anticipation of the shot and in response to the tension in Shion's voice. The blue pulse flies into space and disappears momentarily before it contacts something, and the station dubbed the Song of Nephilim appears against the dark landscape.

"I knew it..." Gaignun mutters darkly beside Jr, who can't help but place his hands on the console to keep himself steady.

"It's exactly the same..." the red head murmurs, "Nothing's changed at all." He is caught somewhere between disbelief and fear.

"So that's...the Song of Nephilim...Dr. Mizrahi...Miltia's..." Shion's voice is barely audible, but the shock in it has Jr wondering again what she'd been through herself on Miltia.

His thoughts are interrupted by a familiar, terrified voice—_Help me...Jr..._Her voice cuts to his core, he can feel her pain and desperation inside of it; he was failing her. "MOMO...MOMO's inside that thing!"

Then he feels the other presence, the one that he's been expecting yet was never prepared to feel again. Jr can't even hear what the people around him are saying, as pain erupts from the right side of his chest. It is _him_, the one with whom he had once been so close, a part of him that he had abandoned on Miltia. Despite the circumstance Jr can't fight the relief that accompanies the pain, his brother is alive; the one with whom he'd shared a body. That relief lasts only a moment before the rage and hatred sets in at what the other is doing, "Damn it! It's him...Albedo!" breathing is difficult as his throat constricts, "I felt his presence...the moment I heard MOMO's voice..."

"Ah...Albedo." Gaignun's voice is calm and collected, serving only to enrage the red head more, "That explains what that unsettling feeling was about. Not to mention why she's there."

"What do you mean?" the detached voice of Ziggy is distant in Jr's ears, barely audible above the angry blood pounding through his veins.

"That girl MOMO...not only is she a specialized Realian, but also the repository for the late Joachim Mizrahi's records. Albedo and the U-TIC Organization want that information. They've wanted it for a long time..." explains Gaignun emotionlessly, Jr had always envied that part of his little brother's personality.

"Albedo? Who's that?" Allen asks dumbfounded.

Staring at the floor, breathing Jr harnesses his composure, "My dark half...the part I've tried to hide away..." his eyes travel to the endless sea of stars outside of the bridge.

"Dark half?"

Ziggy interrupts the stagnant tension, "Jr...Get this ship closer to the Song of Nephilim." Straight to business as always, eliciting a shocked response from Shion's subordinate, "It isn't necessary to get too close. Just lend me a shuttle; that'll be enough."

The emotionless voice tears at Jr's self-control, how could he do it, remain calm when MOMO is in such danger, when that lunatic has his hands on her. Thinking of the pain in her voice his control shatters, he rushes in front of Ziggy before the man can take the elevator down. "Hold it! Where do you think you're going?" he needs to confront Albedo himself, he can't jsut let the cyborg go, "I'm going to save MOMO...No matter what!" the rage within him burns all the way down to his finger tips against the other man's chest.

"Don't bother." is the only reply.

The lump of anger rises in Jr's chest, "What did you say?" his eyes narrow darkly and his jaw tightens into a clench.

The man remains un-phased, "When someone close to you is in danger, you lose your objectivity." The words grate against Jr's ears, "And it almost always ends in tragedy. I've..." in the pause Jr almost sees emotions flicker in the other's cold, blue eyes, "seen it happen too often."

From the corner of his eye Jr sees Shion approaching from the fore of the ship but he can't stop the words from spilling out, "Oh, what, so I'm just like them now?" deep down he is so much more than just human, but once the words are out he realizes the mistake.

"Aren't you?" the cool regard in Ziggy's eyes is degrading, but thankfully he drops it, "This Albedo person...When you finally confront him, do you think you can keep your head straight?" the words cut deep, because Jr knows he couldn't possibly say yes truthfully, and he drops his eyes in shame, "If you can honestly say yes, that's all I have to say. But if you can't..."

The words hang in the tense air, forcing out Jr's anger once more, "You're really something, you know that?" this cyborg knows nothing about the things that Jr has been through in his life, no one does, "You think you're such a hardened soldier compared to me. Tell me then...how can I become a cold and detached like you?"

Jr hates that the other man doesn't even hesitate, "Only allow yourself to think of numbers and battle strategy. Don't let your mind wander to the faces or voices of those precious to you..." he pauses letting the words impact all those listening, "even when it seems cruel not to. Too intense of an interference will overwhelm and ruin everything. That's what I've learned over the past hundred years."

Suddenly at his words, Jr feels his anger dissipate into sympathy for his depressing stance on life, it is hard to ever imagine this man leading a human life; "The day numbers and battle strategies replace people...it'll be game over, cyborg."

"Jr..." the red head glances coldly over his shoulder; his eyes catch the pained look in Shion's as the cyborg speaks, "Remember to stay focused, no matter what he does to MOMO. Only by doing so will you be able to save her. Listen to my advice." Jr is about to scoff, "I know what you're going through." But the sincerity in the other man's comment strikes a chord in Jr, and he remains silent as he faces the wall, not wanting anyone to see the pain in his eyes, and rides down the elevator.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own anything from Xenosaga.

A/N: Chapter 3 for any of those reading. : ) I can't say that this is going to be an overly romantic story, at least not yet, mostly it is just for the intent of highlighting and developing Jr's relationships not just with MOMO and Shion, but the rest of the Xenosaga cast as well.

**Chapter Three: A Connection Unsought and a Promise Threatened**

A knock on the door pulls Jr away from thoughts of his white haired twin, the diminishing of his anger tells him that it is Gaignun. "What is it?" he calls angrily, disarming the lock to let the other man in, "Come on in." Jr turns his back on the other man.

"You don't want me here. I just came to ask you not to give into _it_." There is that calm voice, grating against the back of Jr's neck, but before he can say anything in retort the door slides shut.

He flips open the box on the desk and stares down at the antique gun, whenever he feels the rage boiling over it always helps to find something material to focus on. Albedo is alive and he is tearing MOMO's consciousness apart. _Gaignun has some nerve, I can barely keep my anger in check as it is..._

Another knock, "Leave me alone Gaignun!" he shouts, aggravated.

"I just wanted to let you know that we'll be meeting at the Elsa whenever you're ready Jr." the female voice surprises the red head, drawing him to the door.

The door slides open and he steps into the hallway to see Shion's back as she walks away. "Shion!" he calls, "Wait up, I'm sorry for yelling, I thought that you were Gaignun."

The woman turns around, "It's fine Jr, we're all a little on edge right now." There isn't a hint of anger, or hurt in her features anywhere and Jr is relieved, she is so different from any other woman that he has met. She walks towards him placing her hand on his shoulder, mimicking the comforting gesture he'd given her earlier, "I know how you're feeling right now Jr, we are all worried about MOMO, and we'll do whatever we can to get her back." He is in the middle of thinking that she only knows half of what he is feeling when she continues; "And this...Albedo...he's obviously someone that was important to you...that you've tried to forget...and that his being here, involved is bringing you both pain and sorrow, I can see it in your eyes." She bites her lip as she contemplates how to continue, not knowing that he words have already touched the man deeply, "But when we confront him, I will...we will all stand with you."

"Sh...Shion..." he is at a loss for words, she knows almost exactly what the conflict in his heart is, and suddenly he confronts the urge to confide everything in her.

"Sometimes...the people we're tied to, the ones we can't help but care about...they hurt our other loved ones..." she turns away from him, closing her eyes, "But I promise I won't be late in pulling the trigger...not this time..." her words are soft, full of pain, but when she looks at him again she is wearing a mask of confidence, "We'll save her together Jr, all of us."

In the midst of all his anger, hatred and fear, he finds himself pulling solace out of her words, out of her very presence it seems, she has been the only person other than Gaignun in fourteen years that has ever shown so much understanding of who he is and how he feels. Shion is definitely not just an ordinary human being.

"Thanks...Shion, it means a lot." He stares into her eyes, hoping to implore just how much her words did mean to him. Then he snaps his attitude back into place with a wink and a half-hearted grin, "Now wait right there, just let me grab my guns and we can head down to the Elsa." He's back in his room, a flurry of red, pulling the twin Makarov's from their wooden case he slips them in the holsters at under his arms.

Behind him he hears the door slide open, admitting Shion, he casts her a fleeting smile before reaching into the closet to pull out his trench coat. When he turns back he grins slightly, "Ready to go _Chief_." But he notices her eyes are elsewhere, when he follows her glance he sees what she is staring at; the picture of himself with a young Gaignun, taken a year after their escape from Miltia. He grimaces knowing that it was unmistakable who the picture is of; he never should have let her in here.

"Please," her voice forces him to open his eyes and face her, "Don't you start calling me that too Jr, I can't stand it." Her smile is gentle, her emerald eyes full of an understanding that relaxes the muscles in his back.

_Thank you, Shion, _he thinks silently to himself before walking towards her. "Sorry, I was just playing." Jr stops to stand beside her and looks up into her eyes, a soft, almost sad smile on his lips, "Just Shion then, I promise."

As he looks into her face, Shion's eyes dart away from his and her cheeks color slightly, causing the red head to raise an eyebrow, intrigued, "If you're ready, let's get going. We have to save MOMO and deactivate the Song of Nephilim." Jr nods grimly in response, and together they leave the room to face the harsh reality of their situation.

The pair walks through the metallic hallways in a comfortable silence, their minds preoccupied with the task ahead of them. As Jr's mind travels to what lay in his near future the anger from before returns at once, he is going to have to deal with Albedo, once and for all. Yet he wonders now if he will be able to, Shion's earlier words implied that she had failed to act in time to save a person that she loved. Out of the corner of his eye he glances at her, green eyes clouded with concern, eyebrows drawn together troubled. "Hey Shion." Jr grabs her hand pulling her to face him, "We're going to save her, we're going to save everyone okay?" he smiles genuinely up at her, "I thought you were the one trying to cheer me up anyways!" grinning cheekily he finally elicited a small laugh from her.

"You're right Jr, we are all going to be just fine." She nods at him, still with a soft smile on her lips, "Let's get going."

They continue on in silence, both feeling troubled by their individual demons, but both feeling better in the other's presence. Jr is surprised at how much this woman can affect his mood; the frown on her lips a moment ago had possessed a powerful pull on his emotions, and her words before had legitimately made him feel lighter. Thinking of it now, he battles the desire to ask her about her past, to know what events she has endured to breed such sorrow beneath her outer mask.

Walking together with Shion his thoughts travel to the other girl that had possessed such a power over him; Sakura. For a moment he thinks that they are alike, the girl from his past and the woman beside him now, which is why Shion affects him so. Yet the more he thinks of it, he knows that isn't true...Sakura had never hidden her feelings from him, not from anyone. Trapped in silence for so long she'd told Jr everything, had always been open with him, never concerned about what he might think. Shion on the other hand seems to conceal everything about herself and her true feelings, from everyone. She is nice, positive in her exterior interactions with people, but...it seems that even Allen, her co-worker, isn't privy to her inner most thoughts. Then again, he seems to be oblivious to even her outermost thought, which says that she really just isn't interested. It is sad, the man seems competent enough, but if he didn't act on his feelings and tell her, he was likely going to lose his chance forever. Jr had learned that lesson very early in life; you had to act in the moment, for sooner or later fate had a way of catching up and making you pay for your hesitance. His chest aches as he thinks of the two important people that he's lost, Sakura, his first love who he hadn't been able to save and Albedo...who he'd abandoned to infection, madness and what had until today been assumed death. Dark thoughts overtaking him, he doesn't even notice that they've arrived at the Elsa and are ready to depart.

As Jr looks around at the rag tag team that has assembled, he can't help but smile. Even before the new additions, the Elsa's crew had been an oddity, but he trusts all of them to do what is needed. Despite all his complaining Captain Matthew's is a powerful authority and sense of inspiration to his men, perhaps the man is focused a bit too much of payment but...it is no easy task that they have undertaken.

"Captain!" the voice belongs to Hammer, one of the most competent human navigators that Jr has ever met, "There's an opening to the side where we can dock!"

"All right! Bring us in Tony. Be careful." Calls Matthews, even knowing Tony's exceptional piloting skills, showing just how concerned the Captain is about this mission.

"Roger. Closing in and approaching the—"

"Wait!" hand against her chest Shion calls and interrupts their progress, "Tony, can you show me the top...?" Jr turns, looking up into the brunette's face which was plastered with suspicion and fear.

"What? You want me to go around the top?" asks the pilot, obviously as confused as Jr by her strange request.

"Please. Just circle around the top!" Jr thinks momentarily that the imploring tone of her voice and the determination in her clear green eyes can get almost anyone to do anything for her, no wonder Allen is so helpless around her.

"All right..." Tony acquiesces unwillingly, scratching the back of his head "But once around is all you're getting. Who knows what's up there?" Jr is surprised that not even Matthews shoots down Shion's request, perhaps Allen isn't the only one she has sway over.

"Thank you..." she says softly, worry clear in her voice. What is it that she is looking for...? As the flat, triangular top of the structure comes into view from the bridge, Jr's eyes remain fixed on Shion. Other than a brief widening of her eyes she does not do or say anything, but the distance between her eyes and reality is obvious as she travels deep into her own thoughts. In the next moment the top is out of sight as the Elsa gently flies down to the docking area, and as the team prepares to depart Shion seems to be moving as if in a trance.

"Shion." Jr says quietly, falling into step with her as they step off of the Elsa, drawing her from her reverie, "Are you okay?"

She nods silently, not even looking at her red haired companion. Not wanting to prod her further, and distracted by the feel of Albedo's heart beat growing close in his chest, he lets it drop. As they enter the outer wall of the station, she comes into view, brushing past Ziggy, Jr runs for her, "MOMO!" he kneels down next to her, grasping her shoulders, shaking her as if she is asleep, "MOMO! MOMO!" his voice grows desperate until she finally opens her eyes and looks into his, the emptiness within her golden orbs makes his chest constrict, "Are you all right?" he asks, as her eyes stare past him unseeing, "Don't tell me...we're too late?" but he already knows the answer, and his head drops as he tries to rein in the rage within, "Damn that bastard! He's taken her consciousness!" rising to his feet, the tension across his back aches, "I'm gonna make him pay for this! Hold on MOMO...I'll make you whole again!" breathing comes raggedly, he is failing in his promise...Albedo has to be stopped.

"Jr!" Shion's voice demands his attention as she kneels beside the Realian, "What...happened to MOMO?" the woman gently takes MOMO's hands into her own, staring up at the red head desperate, and confused.

Focusing on her green eyes he regains some of his control, enough to even his breathing, enough to explain, "That monster Albedo's gone and reversed the spiritual link..."

Beside him the cryborg questions, "Reversed the spiritual link?"

"It's the opposite of what Gaignun and I do when we communicate telepathically." He knows Gaignun won't appreciate him divulging the information but he has no choice, "But by seizing someone's consciousness, you can delve deep inside the other person's mind and drag out whatever memories you feel like taking." _Such as the Y Data_, his mind adds silently.

"You can't be serious!" Shion looks down at MOMO's empty features in disbelief, and holds on to her shoulders as the Realian gets to her feet, "That means MOMO's mind is..."

"Yeah..." murmurs the red head, letting the word linger before regaining his composure, "It's best for you all to go back. I'll handle this on my own." Careful not to make eye contact with chaos, Jr brushes past the rest of the company.

"Wait!" the gentle voice that the man's been fearing interrupts him, "It's too dangerous to go alone!" Jr's eyes are locked on chaos' green ones for a long moment as he contemplates what to do. He admits that all of them are capable and devoted enough to help him, but he doesn't want to risk putting them in further danger if he can't deal with Albedo in the end. _I will...We will all stand with you_.Shion's words echo in his mind, and out of the corner of his eye he sees the determined look on her face.

"Sorry. This is between me and him...All right?" he tries to glare harshly at his friends, to make them understand the apprehension and fear that he is feeling, to understand that what he says is for their own safety.

"But still..." says the silver haired man, not needing to continue as MOMO approaches Jr.

Features bereft of any emotion, her appearance is haunting, "MOMO...You wanna come with me?" but the gesture is touching, as the Realian nods ever so slightly.

"I'm going too." Shion's voice demands his attention, that determination really did seem unstoppable, as she balled her hand into a fist on her chest.

"Shion..." he lets his eyes drop to the floor, lest they see the emotion coursing through them.

"Don't you remember what you told me?" she pauses, looking into his eyes meaningfully, "This Song...it's responsible for destroying Miltia and bringing the Gnosis into this world...If this has anything to do with that place that I know of," her vague words peaked his curiosity, "then...this involves me as well." All Jr can do in response is nod, as they make their way off the bridge on into the next area of the Song. While approaching the door, Jr hears Shion's feminine voice, "I told you that we will stand with you Jr, we won't let you go alone."

A/N: Thanks to anyone who read and hopefully you enjoyed it, as always feedback would be lovely!


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I do not own anything from Xenosaga.

A/N: So here is Chapter 4, it is rather long in comparison to the previous ones, but how could you cut such an important reunion short haha! Anyways please if you happen to get this far before being board, send me a review! ;)

**Chapter Four: Confrontation**

As the group finally engages the final third of the Song after what has been an arduous trek, Jr's body is tense, on edge; knowing the impending confrontation is now at hand. He walks just back from the rest of the group, trying hard to constrain the fire building in the right side of his chest. "Albedo...why?" he whispers softly, fighting the tears while he can still allow himself to feel anything but anger and hate for his brother, before he is forced to partake in what he must do.

"He must be just down the main elevator! Come on!" chaos' voice is as tense as Jr has ever heard it, normally the silver haired boy has no problem maintaining the airy, carefree tone.

"Yes. It is logical that whoever is in control of the Song of Nephilim will be holding out in the main control room, located at the center of the station." KOS-MOS' words are distant as Jr lifts his eyes to meet those of chaos.

"Jr, are you going to be okay?" the man's voice is soft, inaudible to those ahead of them for which Jr is thankful.

"I looked for him chaos, I tried to find him, but Nigredo...he...needed me..." the taller man places his gloved hand on the red heads shoulder, "I know that he blames me, hell, I take that blame, I know it was my fault but..." Jr clenches his jaw as he drops his eyes to the ground, "He shouldn't be doing _this_...not if it's just to get revenge on me..."

"People don't always do what they should Jr, you know that. You have to stop worrying about the past, what we have to deal with is the here and now." When Jr raises his eyes, there is a soft, sorrowful smile on the silver haired man's lips, "You are normally so good at that you know."

"I know chaos...it's just hard when the past comes right up and jumps down your throat..." the man's forehead creases with worry, but Jr pushes past him before he can say any more, "Come on, let's do this."

Jr steps on to the elevator as far from the worried looks in both chaos' and Shion's eyes and averts his gaze. "Try to remember my advice Jr. Even if you don't like it, it is the best way you will find to save MOMO." Cold, sapphire eyes cut up at the blond cyborg who is staring straight ahead, face sombre.

"I've got enough on my mind without you're self righteous advice old man..." still the man's face remains unchanged.

"I do not speak just to hear my own voice, these words I say in the hopes of stopping you from doing anything reckless and risking MOMO's or any of our lives. You know this Jr." A cold, metal hand comes to rest on Jr's shoulder, and Ziggy's eyes soften slightly.

"I don't need you're god damn sympathy!" yells the red head, glaring at the entire company fury burning in his eyes. "I don't need your comfort, and I sure as hell don't need your pity! So stop looking at me that way." The last part comes out near a growl as Jr steps off the elevator, making his way directly for the door ahead of them at the center of the station.

As the heart beat in the right side of his chest crescendo's he can't help but stop before entering the large door, staring straight ahead. "We aren't here because you need our help...but because we want to help you Jr, as well as MOMO." The voice is chaos', soft and reassuring, despite the raucousness of his anger, Jr feels immense gratitude towards the people around him.

"I'm just scared...I don't want anyone else to end up hurt," eyes landing on MOMO's blank expression he flinches away, "because of me..."

"We're in this together now Jr, MOMO is a friend to all of us, and we all want to stop the Song from calling more Gnosis. So let's go, all of us." Jr's frightened eyes meet chaos' serene ones and a sense of calm washes over him. Cracking the smallest of smiles he nods, eyes travelling to those of each of his companions, ending on Shion's whose steely resolve shines forth unhindered as she smiles softly back at him.

Taking in a deep breath Jr bursts through the large mechanical door, stopping in his tracks as his eyes land on the white clad form of his brother. The myriad of emotions washing through Jr's mind leaves him shell shocked, battling the tears that surface in his eyes at knowing that his twin is alive. For a moment he ignores the anger and rage bubbling inside of him, but only for a moment. "Albedo...You!"

Everything aside from Albedo's crazed, amethyst eyes is distant and unrecognizable as the crimson fury begins its seduction of Jr's reason. "Please spare me any trite lines like, 'You're still alive?' Life and death are merely empty words lacking any power over me." Jr grimaces knowing the truth behind his brother's words, "By the way...did you ever bother telling the girl?" for the first time Jr's eyes register the unconscious form of MOMO cradled in Albedo's arms, "Does she know that we're monsters, both you and I?"

"MOMO?" calls the red head in disbelief, hoping that perhaps there was still a chance to save the real her from him, but...who is it that has been accompanying them then. As he's about to spin around he feels surprisingly strong, yet small hands close around his throat, cutting off his wind pipe. Jr's feet leave the ground and he is left choking for air against the powerful grip.

"I want the me that's inside you..." it is MOMO's voice, but it is hollow and emotionless, and as he listens to the voice he knows that whatever it is, it isn't the pink haired Realian that he's befriended.

"M...MOMO..." the real MOMO is the one in Albedo's clutches, suffering pain by his brother's hand.

"MOMO?" Shion's voice is distant beyond the pounding blood in Jr's ears as he continues to struggle for breath.

"That's not her. That's..." Jr's eyes close and he begins to allow his body to relax, keeping the rage within checked despite his situation.

But as his brother's twisted voice echoes through the room Jr feels the need to get free, to stop Albedo from hurting anyone else, "Free from the bonds of flesh..." slowly the red head reaches his arm towards the hand of his assailant, "A pure consciousness has no true form." A choking sound resonates unbidden from Jr's throat as he begins to lose himself, "All that exists is the longing for reality."

Albedo's words go almost unheard as the seductive voice hisses through Jr's mind, _Strike Red Child...use me...!_ Resolve burning, Jr grasps the small hands around his throat, and opens the way for the fury within, "Get off me!" he feels it explode out of him from every part of his body, and the crimson glow of his anger leaves his body tingling with heat. _Yes...free me_, the alluring inner voice whispers to him softly after he hears a body hit the floor behind him. But as he falls to his knees and his eyes regain their focus, he sees MOMO wince in pain, _Always a price for pleasure Red Child_, the voice reassures.

"Did you see that, ma pêche...? You're witness to his true nature right now...a consciousness desperately struggling to stay alive." Absently Jr thinks that that is the state of all humans, every one of them struggles against the death that Albedo has never known, "Such a pitiful sight. This is unseemly, Rubedo." The sound of his true name on his brother's lips grates against the thin rein of control that he has mustered.

"Jr..." MOMO's desperate plea is pained, barely audible as she struggles to hold on to her consciousness.

Then Albedo places his hand above MOMO's limp head and the malicious blue glow pulses between her head and the man's palm. The pained cry passing between MOMO's lips demands Jr's response, "Albedo! Get your stinkin' hands off of her!" he speaks harshly, rising from his knees. He draws one of his Makarov's from its holster, levelling the barrel on his brother, "Or else I'll..."

"Hmm?" Albedo's disinterest vexes Jr's self control, "You'll do something...if I...do this?" smiling maliciously down at MOMO he draws even more from her consciousness, her cry rips away the remainder of Jr's control.

"You mother...!" in his sapphire eyes determination mingles with burning rage as his finger tugs back the trigger of the handgun. A wispy purple light is all that remains of Albedo's right arm, yet the man doesn't flinch, his smile is merely amused.

Unsurprising to Jr the arm begins to regenerate almost instantly, "What pain...so sweet...so alive! Pain is such a vital part of realizing one's existence..." The words tug unbidden at Jr's heart, he can't begin to imagine what Albedo's mind has been through, even without the influence of U-DO. "Try to remember Rubedo. What it takes...what you must do...Or...have you lived in peace for so long that you've completely forgotten?"

The sympathy for his brother is suppressed by flaming anger in an instant, "I don't give a damn about what you have to say! Just give her back!" _Please Albedo..._he thinks to himself, _Please stop this..._

"I don't think so..." teases the white haired man, possessively pulling the Realian closer against him, "I'll just take what I want and proceed with my plans..." the word plans causes Jr' mind to reel, implying his intentions are more than just to take revenge on Jr for abandoning him. _What is he going to do with the Y Data?_ Staring down into MOMO's face the man continues, "And along the way, I'll make you remember...Who you really are..." a malevolent smirk on his lips the man resumes his invasion of MOMO's consciousness.

_Use me_, the inner voice demands, painting Jr's vision red, _To keep your promise_. "Shut up!" he shouts, half to the voice inside, half to the man in front of him, "I don't need some freak contaminated by U-DO to tell me..." the intentionally inflammatory words miss their mark, and faintly he hears Shion call his name.

"Contaminated? Not quite. More like..." Albedo seems to contemplate a moment, "evolved. I experience but a fragment of my true power that day. The waves that inundated my body are now a part of me! I've reached a higher stage of existence compared to you incomplete mortals." _And it's all my fault_... "I am the alpha and the omega of perfect consciousness!" _Because of me...all because of me, I did this...to my own brother..._

"S...Stop it..." stammers the red headed man, fear and guilt engulfing him, he can't stand the reminder of his inability to act, and the casualty of his brother that it cost him. MOMO's cries become weaker and weaker, and Jr feels his hesitance stalling him, prolonging her suffering, _I'm a coward_.

"Mmm...Ah, this is nice...Don't you want to give it a try?" the taunting words ignite Jr's anger, shattering his indecision, along with MOMO"s inaudible cries.

"MOMO!" yells the red head as he tugs back the trigger twice, blowing away his brother's arm followed by his head, but Jr knows that it is far from over. His heart clenches in sorrow at the distant reminder of a scared little boy who had just learned that while he was immortal, all those for whom he cared were not.

As his brother's head slowly regenerates, leaving him just the same as before, he knows that he should have told his companions more of what they were going to find here. "Impossible...Is that nanotechnology..." asks Ziggy, obviously taken by surprise at Albedo's cold smirk.

"No." Replies Shion, "Nanomachines can't work anywhere near that fast, and besides...Not even the research laboratories have models with head-regenerating capabilities yet." Even Vector's genius doesn't have a clue what Albedo is, _Yuriev sure did a good job keeping us under wraps_.

"He's a U.R.T.V." calm as always, chaos intercedes, "Just like Jr..."

"What?" Jr knows that Shion's surprise is more that she doesn't know what a U.R.T.V. is than that Jr isn't a normal human being; she'd seen the picture of him and Gaignun after all.

chaos, it seems, has decided to illuminate all of them, "U.R.T.V.'s...they were created for the express purpose of eradicating U-DO." _Which means my infected brother as well_, broods Jr darkly.

"U-DO...?" the confusion in Shion's voice is unnatural, but Jr realizes that she must have been little more than a child during what she suffered in the Miltian Conflict.

"Rubedo..." the white haired man has regained his composure as he oversees the group before him, "You still don't remember? Or could it be...fear...You're frightened, is that it?" Jr winces, knowing the truth in his brother's words, "Am I right? I can't blame you. The only thing that matters to you is yourself." _That's the way it should be Red Child...use me...kill him..._As if hearing the venomous voice in Jr's head, Albedo continues, "Rubedo...so cruel...And yet this girl clings to you so dearly. Isn't it pitiful?" _It's not her fault, it's in her nature to trust and rely on others_, his own voice echoes through his skull. Dismayed he watches the charm that he had given her fall to the ground below her, in these moments his heart burns only for revenge, _maybe Albedo is right...maybe I am leading her on to trust me_..."One more layer. Just one more layer, and then I'll have everything inside of her. I'm sure you know what that means, Rubedo. Now then, I wonder how much more she can take?"

As if on cue MOMO's cries of pain escalate, shattering once again the remainder of Jr's control, allowing the dark voice to erupt in victory. "Noooooo!" Feeling the crimson rage inside of his, Jr grasps as his chest nearly doubling over before the furious power bursts forth from every pour of his skin, as a scream rips out of his throat.

Vision crimson red, the next thing he knows Albedo is laying limply behind the throne on which he was seated, and MOMO lies unmoving before them. Without a further thought he runs to her side, "MOMO!" he whispers desperately, gathering her in his arms, "Are you okay?" _It's all my fault_, he screams inwardly at himself.

Then Albedo's malicious, and almost exhilarated cackle echoes off the metal walls, "I see..." he crazed voice is full of excitement and when Jr looks up he sees his brother surveying those of his company. "It all makes sense now..." Jr looks up at his brother with wide scared eyes, knowing from his words that he was able to fully access the Y Data, _You've failed_..._You should have used me sooner, Red Child..._taunts the other, seductive voice in his mind.

Preoccupied with MOMO Jr can only watch as his brother ascends to his E.S. smirking down at all of them, "But now...Rubedo, how about we enjoy a moment or two together. Come on...our time has arrived!" As the red headed man gets to his feet to face his brother, glancing down at MOMO's wilted body, memories and thoughts of failure and blame course through him; enraging the fury within.

"Stand back Jr." Ziggy's emotionless voice commands and the cyborg steps in front of both MOMO and Jr, further igniting the rage building up.

_Kill him...kill them all and take your revenge_, the voice is sultry and smooth, trying to tempt him into action. "I'll take care of him myself, cyborg!" snaps the red head, barely controlling himself as he levels the barrel of his handgun at the man's back.

"Jr!" a gentle hand on his shoulder draws the red head's attention, successfully calming his anger as he looks up into chaos' green eyes, "Bullets and a physical assault won't harm that thing, you know that. We will have to utilize our beam attacks and ethers if we want to win okay, it would be best if you just stand back."

"I can't chaos!" pleads Jr, distraught, "I have to do something...I've already failed so much, put everyone in a lot of danger, I can't just stand here!"

"Listen to me Jr." Shion spins him roughly around, forcing him to look directly into her resolute emerald eyes, "You stay back and look after MOMO okay? She needs you right now, and being there with her is the best thing you can do in this situation." When the anger in his eyes doesn't diminish the women places her palm gently against his cheek, and to Jr's dismay her warm touch leaves him feeling instantly composed, "Push away your hatred and revenge Jr, look after MOMO while we take care of this." Holding back tears, Jr nods grimly and to his surprise Shion pulls him into a tight hug, before running to the forefront of the battle, M.W.S. raised to fire.

For a moment he can only stare helplessly as the rest of them lead an assault against Simeon, but Shion's words remain engraved in his mind and he returns his attention to the pink haired Realian. Kneeling down he pulls her up into his lap, brushing back stray pink strands from her cheeks, "Come on MOMO, you need to wake up." He knows that there is no physical damage from which she suffers but just to make sure he checks her over; finding nothing he fears the full extent of Albedo's probing. _He has the Y Data Red Child...you can too if you only_ — "Shut up!" he whispers fiercely to the demonic voice inside, putting a shaky hand against MOMO's cheek. "MOMO, please...we need you back here, you've got to wake up. If not for me then for Ziggy! That old man wouldn't know what to do without you." Fighting back tears, he looks to the ceiling taking a deep breath, trying to rein in his emotions.

A feminine scream snaps his attention back to the battle as Shion falls to her knees, helpless Jr watches as chaos gets knocked back as he tries to get over to the brown haired woman. "Shit!" he murmurs as he lays MOMO gently on the metal floor and gets to his feet. As Simeon makes another move to hit Shion, Jr jumps in front of her and pushes her out of harm's way, firing a barrage of bullets that damages the machine's arm. "Get back to MOMO Shion, use some ethers if you can." He casts her a fleeting, reassuring smile before he turns back to the fight at hand.

Turning his icy, cerulean eyes on the E.S. he can almost imagine his brother's glee at his presence in the forefront. "That's it Albedo...I won't...let you hurt...Anyone else!" he shouts grabbing hold on the burning frenzy within himself, Jr funnels it through his hand and into his gun. Pointing it at the arm of Simeon which descends upon him, he pulls a dark, crooked smirk across his lips, "Sayonara baby." A powerful scarlet beam erupts from the barrel, piercing through the left arm of the machine and causing electricity to spark. Jr can hear his brother maniacal laugh from within Simeon before the exhaustion, from keeping a restraint so tight around the crimson power, drops him to his knees, breathing heavily.

"Ah, Rubedo." Grasping the arm through which the force had travelled Rubedo squints through the aching pain in his body, looking up as his brother descends to the floor. "You're getting closer to your old self. But you're still not quite there yet." A sinister glow begins to form around Albedo's hand as he speaks, "You were much stronger than this back then," raising his hand, the white haired man prepares to launch a powerful force at the other, "weren't you?"

Pushing the pain to the back of his consciousness, Jr struggles to his feet, "Damn you, Albedo!" he prepares to let loose the red demon within once more, "Don't get cocky!" it pours forth from his body in a wave that he feels collide with the force collected around his brother, however this time his control over his power is waning; almost completely dissipated.

Ever so faintly he hears Gaignun's desperate plea, but he's too far gone to recognize it, let alone act on it. _I won't let you hurt them Albedo, I swear it!_

A bestial scream leaps from his throat in response to the dark nature within himself, begging him to release his last hold. "What's wrong, Rubedo? You can do better than this. Come on," a dark, tempting smirk crosses Albedo's features, "show me what you've got!"

_Release me Red Child, let me kill him for you_, the voice is exhilarated by bloodlust. "Jr, no! Don't do it! Don't play into his hand...or you'll..." chaos' voice is a distant conscience, demanding Jr's attention.

_I'll what, chaos?_ He tries to ask but his own voice betrays him, he can feel himself drowning in the burning rage, he knows that he can't hold out much longer against what is inside of him. _I'll hurt them...I'll make myself the threat, Albedo won't have to hurt them because I will do it myself if I release my hold._ The realization jars him to the bone but it is too late to go back now, at its current magnitude he can't manage to subdue his power at all let alone retract it completely. _This is what he has wanted all along, to extract my rage and turn it against myself and against my friends_._ And chaos is right...I played perfectly into his plan to make me into a monster just like he is...Damnit!_

"Come on, Rubedo! Just a little more! Just a little more and your dreams will be fulfilled!" he notices what he should have before, that Albedo is using just enough force to goad him into biting and letting go completely, but there is no stopping it now, "Come on, come on, come on!" the white haired man's voice is terrifying, he wants to release the power inside of Jr and he hopes that it will take his life the way that nothing else can.

_Give him what he wants Red Child, let me taste him_. The floodgate opens upon the voice's request as more power flows from Jr's body, and another scream tears from his chest. Then suddenly without warning he feels the anger flowing back inside himself, calming him. His eyes are drawn to the small form of a girl beyond the realm of his anger, who seems to be the source of whatever is driving back his power. Through his red clouded vision he staggers, "Sakura...?" he whispers inaudibly, yet his eyes betray him and as the red vision lifts he sees that MOMO has come to consciousness again. But for a moment he swears he can see his first love looking out through the Realian's eyes. "MOMO...?" he questions in disbelief.

The girl's eyes are faced determinedly forward as she suppresses the dark powers vying for destruction in between the two brothers. "You've...taken so much from me. But...I...I was given a part of you too. A part of you is now within me." Jr sees that her eyes are on Albedo now, and confusion takes him. "So, now..."

"So, now...?" Albedo snarls in a taunting voice before bursting out laughing at MOMO's display of courage. "So, that's why you're doing that?"

The Realian's eyes flick forward again as she shakes her head, "Why do you hurt everyone?" her kind, gentle heart shines forth in her words, "My sisters, they all loved something they saw in you. Even after all that you put them through, they still believed in you." The pain in her golden eyes wrenches Jr's emotions, "How...how can you desecrate their feelings – their hearts?"

Again Albedo's maniacal cackle fills the room as he lets go of the power surrounding him, finally allowing Jr's demon to retreat back inside, "Descrate? Your sisters? Look around you." For the first time Jr sees the bodies of dozens of Kirschwasser's laid mangled across the floor, he'd been blinded by fury until now, "Who's the flower that blooms from all those corpses?" Out of the corner of his eye he sees MOMO flinch at the words, "That's right...It's you...pêche." and her sad golden eyes drop to the floor, "Everything is just as Mizrahi – your dear Daddy – wanted it to be." _The Y Data!_ Screams Jr's inner thoughts.

"Daddy...?" MOMO's voice is soft as her eyes stare forward, troubled.

"That' right. Isn't it, Rubedo?" again Albedo's taunts tempt Jr's anger.

Shaking his head to dispel the temptation towards hatred Jr replies, "You bastard...say any more and you're..." words escape him as he battles with the rage rebuilding itself inside, "you're gonna..."

"...pay for this!" shouts Shion, finishing Jr's thoughts, "Those girls weren't toys for your enjoyment! They were all individuals with wills of their own! Yet you..."

Shion's brave words are interrupted by a gravelly voice from an unknown source, "Still spouting that self-righteous crap?"

From the ceiling behind him Jr can see a light is being emited, surprised he spins around as he barely hears Albedo's voice, "The new guy?"

Materializing seemingly out of nowhere a figure in blue robes floats above them to stand by Jr's brother. He is masked, and the voice is unfamiliar to Jr, though he admits his perception is skewed by the rage coursing through his senses. "Stop screwing around." Orders the man, glancing at Albedo, "Hurry up and get the job done. Don't waste your time on these fools." The words grate once more against the red head's self control.

Slowly, almost grudgingly Albedo turns to ascend his craft once more but not before turning back to the man in blue, "Give him this message: It belongs to me!"

However those words are almost unheard as Jr bursts after the retreating figure of his brother. "Hold it!" _I can't let him get away, I have to stop him!_ But as soon as he reaches the blue figure, he is sent flying backwards as hot pain sears through his entire body, leaving him breathing heavily on his knees.

"Where do you think you're going?" taunts the unfamiliar man, "Hey, why don't you do me a favour and let him go for now. I'll do my best to keep you entertained in the meantime." Jr's eyes stare past the man, watching distraught as Albedo's craft takes to the air, ejecting from the Song of Nephilim.

Once Albedo is out of sight, Jr turns his enraged sapphire eyes on the blue robed man ready to do whatever he has to in order to take him out.

A/N: That concludes Chapter 4. Hope I did okay describing this very intense part of the plot as well as staying true to Jr's personality. Sorry if the whole inner voices thing got confusing at all, let me know if it did so I can make some adjustments.


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